We Hear You! Letters from Our October 2012 Issue

I have been a MORE subscriber since its first year of publication - and the magazine just gets better with age. (Just like your readers, right?) And I give a subscription to MORE to my several of girlfriends as their birthday gift. Whenever we get together we talk about what we liked in the latest issue.

We were all moved by the wonderful article by Isabel Wilkerson "An American Reborn in Paris." Thank you for publishing it - as it was a bit of a history lesson as well as a spiritual travel journey.

Although I resisted reading her book - because I know intimately of the pain and bitterness she describes as it mirrors the story of my family - I instantly downloaded after I read her story in MORE. And despite my crazy busy schedule, I finished the book in a few days.

Thank you MORE, for bringing inspiring articles, information and authors to my mailbox every month!

--Judi Townsend

I just wanted to let you all know how much I enjoyed the article "Field Guide to the Mature male". So very funny and so very true. Thanks!

--Mary Lind

I love reading your column each month. I just wanted to share that it was good thing we had our first fall rainy weekend in Boston just when my October issue arrived. I kicked out the boyfriend, baked and cooked and did my seasonal clothes swap and read every article laughing and crying. You continue to outshine yourselves! I love the serious change-the-world articles, the what to do with aging parents nostalgic articles, the coming of middle-age ruminations, travel stories and political commentary. The multi-page look at middle-aged men took you to a new level of silliness!

Thank you for being a great comfort and reading escape. I am a huge book reader and Netflicks watcher yet when More hits my mailbox, the wine is poured and life is suspended while I dream and think about how rich my life is at 54. You help me do that every month.

I could do with a LOT less makeup articles and ads (I wear makeup, but it stays pretty minimal due to my longtime good livin’ habits). Are there are sources of ad revenue? I am doing my part by turning friends and family onto MORE. As your circulation increases maybe so will the types of products you share with us.

YOU and the MORE TEAM ROCK!

--Jule Meyer

This isn’t the first time I have written you – and I will probably contact you again!

In the Sept. issue, you discuss the guide to midlife friendship.

I see the perspective from your point of view, from the point of view of a young girl, and from my own 78 year old point of view. I want to tell you, the best is yet to come.

I would like to introduce you to Anna Zornosa, my daughter. She is 50 some, as is your friend. She has started many companies, and was at last able to sit down and catch her breath. As soon as she did, she started another company, RUBYRIBBON which you can easily find on Facebook or Google. Please take a minute to do so, you will be pleased to meet her.

Her Dad, my husband, is from Colombia, South America. Our four children have been raised here, as much a part of their own communities as it is possible to be. She has had some adversities, but from my point of view, being a strong, active woman has caused her more problems than being half Spanish! Problems she has faced and used to become successful.

Now I must catch up on my reading. I save MORE for taking with me on trips, or for opportune moments at home, and I am on the Sept. issue now.

Your friend (on paper?)

--Betty Zornosa

I went to your website to complete the survey and found a message that it is no longer active. I found this frustrating because I logged on to take the survey after reading the Sept issue with Diane Lane and found the survey query for the Oct/Salma issue. I searched my local Barnes Noble, CVS, Target and couldn't find this issue. You can understand my frustration to now find the survey closed. Hence, this email. I have never takensurveys because they are "time-consuming" or quite frankly, I usually could care less. However, I was moved to contribute. Mainly,because of the prize but more importantly because I am a magazine-whore (as well as shoe-coffee-beauty whore) and because I bought your premier issue when I was in my early 30's. I remember telling my sister I couldn't wait to turn 40 because of how cool, edgy, and powerful you made +40 look. I subscribed to your magazine and I don't remember at what point I didn't. But still found myself buying it off the newsstand. I love being seduced by words, images, mood, color, style, juxtaposition, and ideas! You quit seducing me :(

I'm not sure what you asked in the survey but here's what I think.

I HATE YOUR FONT. It's too " Kiehls" or "Bigelow". It's too old fashioned! Maybe you think the mature audience would appreciate it. They might appreciate it in a product that promises to deliver after many years. But not in magazine that we turn to keep us updated, forward, edgy or sophisticated. (The font I'm referring to is the one you use as page headings: Contents, Letter, Notebook, etc)

The Oct cover issue with Salma: too busy and cluttered. I like Salma. But the cover-- Too much hair, too many words, and too many sizes.

Why didn't you use the photo of Salma on page 8? That would've been powerful!

Pitch the travel photo idea--Glamour and even the Detroit Red Wings do that.

Instead, have a "More" page where your readers send in photo, age, and city and tell us what they now have "more" of.

It would be like a transformation page. They used to be quiet/shy/suppressed and now "more" outgoing/funny/sexy.

Please make this a reader page. We are bombarded with enough movie stars, models etc. I'm talking about the amazing women that your colleague collects

I love the beauty search idea. I love the Notebook pages! I love Stylebook! I love the Beautybook. They are to the point.

Clean. Streamlined. I love the Second acts.

Again, I HATE YOUR FONTS. The font for the article Sex Trafficking's Unlikely Angel. It sucks--too hard on the eyes.

I skipped the whole article!

I loved the Joy of Ex article--hated the font.

Loved the field guide to men. Keep it!

How about a Sass-and- the-City page? Women everywhere have a girl’s night out. How are women +40

Celebrating? What are they doing and how long have they been gathering? Take pics of 3-4women out w/brief profiles and how they celebrate being women.

Thank you in advance for reading my email.

--Linda

As a veteran image consultant and jewelry blogger, I just loved Jennifer's article on re-defining your personal style by clearing out your closet. In response to her question, "is there a such thing as an age-appropropriate necklace?" on pg.54...well yes there is! I thought she would enjoy my blog post on the subject:

I have been a subscriber to More for some time. I greatly enjoy the focus on the mature woman. The articles are interesting and often inspiring, as is the story of Dottie Laster and her efforts to rescue those captured in human trafficking. The clothing suggestions and makeup tips bring out my inner shopper. The magazine itself is visually appealing. However, I was saddened to read A Field Guide to the Mature Man. It seemed to me to be only a parody of what real men are. You dedicated eight pages to this article. This accumulation of male stereotypes might have been acceptable as part of an April Fools' issue. I think your philosophy is to promote the real and legitimate accomplishments of women. If this is so, that article seemed dissonant. Do women need to step up by stepping on men? No. Would your readers resent an article that satirized pendulous breasts, sagging bottoms, Botox enhanced features? Yes. So why abandon your focus and laudable philosophy and stoop to this type of article? I have been married for 43 years to a wonderful man who fit none of these stereotypes and who has always supported my dreams. I know that I am lucky and that this is not every woman's experience. But I think Dottie Laster is as lucky as I. Please consider my thoughts and measure your future articles against your editorial philosophy.

--Judith F. Schadl

It’s probably a good idea that I follow up my entry to the “Show Us your Smarts” contest in the October issue of More with this letter. I think I need to apologize and perhaps better explain myself. The morning I completed the survey, I had received yet another e-mail from a potential employer that they had chosen another candidate to fill the job. Unfortunately, I have received a great deal of these e-mails since I became unemployed in May. In a lot of cases, I am not being chosen for these jobs because the employers are choosing younger candidates.

So your survey came at a good time or a bad time, depending on how you look at it. I did write up the following to more thoroughly explain my opinion of More magazine:

So do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first? With our current political environment bombarding us with bad news and negative information, I think it best to always start with the positive news. I really like your magazine, and I am probably your typical reader of More. I am 48 years-old, a professional woman with three grown children. I have been married for 25 years and have lived in the same home in the same neighborhood for 20 years. Unfortunately, I have been unemployed since May, 2012.

I am in the middle: middle, meaning part of what is considered the middle class. We middles are what the current political forum is calling “middle income” women, and right now we have it pretty tough. We hold down a full-time job, have a family, a home, and many responsibilities. We cut coupons. We shop for deals online and in the stores. We are more likely to shop at Kohl’s and Macy’s than Tiffanies, Bloomindales or Coach. We often color our own hair and do our own nails, and worry about our weight as we age; we also worry about our wrinkles. Some of us own animals; some of us are dealing with an illness. Many of us have elderly parents or relatives that we also have to care for on top of everything else.

Speaking as a typical reader, there are many things that I like about More magazine. I like that there are advertisements in your magazine from Target, JC Penney and Anne Klein. The products advertised are affordable to those who most likely will purchase the magazine—middles like me. I enjoyed the articles and essays and I particularly liked the “Look Better with Age: 20 Real Women’s Secrets,” “The Cat on My Head,” “A Field Guide to the Mature Male.” I like that there is information about the upcoming elections, although a very short article, and articles that discuss women’s health and retirement.

Now, the bad news and you may feel that I am planting myself on a soapbox, preaching to the proverbial choir. However . . . . when will it end? When do we women not have to worry so much about our crow’s feet, laugh-lines or muffin tops? Is there a deadline? Is there a magical age when we simply accept ourselves and all of our flaws? Or will it always come down to our looks, our bodies and how well we keep ourselves?

When will we have women’s magazines stop mass producing articles on getting fat, getting old, being less that model picture-perfect? Find me a magazine that empowers women by celebrating what they do, how they have contributed to society, not what they look like. Who cares what she looks like, if she can raise millions of dollars for wounded soldiers, or find the gene that will cure a disease, lead a country, or be a good mother to her children? Why do we hold in such esteem the looks of a woman, but not her accomplishments?

Your magazine is littered with ads that buy into this mindset that aging or being less than perfect is a bad thing. Why must your ads for jeans have “slimming features?” There are so many ads for face creams and serums that repair wrinkles and reverse aging or firm up the skin on the face and neck or remove hair, so on and so on. So many ads for various hair products for us old gals: hair color to get rid of the gray or solutions to help with thinning hair. Why? How about a nice handbag or a snappy pair of shoes? Every woman loves both, no matter the color of her hair, her sagging eyelids or the amount of fat on her belly.

I am 48, in the throes of peri-menopause. Why do I have to work so hard at being thin, young-looking, energetic, perfect? Well, I am putting my foot down. I say, it’s my husband’s turn. I give up. I am tired of coloring my hair, applying the right face cream, eating right and exercising and never getting rid of the wrinkles and 5 extra pounds of belly fat. I plan to not fight it so hard anymore and simply . . . age.

Okay, I apologize again for my soapbox tirade. Overall, your magazine is pretty awesome and you can tell a great deal of work has already gone into finding the right ads and articles for your target audience. My opinion may not be the same as everyone’s and most often it isn’t. But I applaud you for asking for feedback from your readers. It shows your magazine is willing to reach out to its readers for their opinions, for their feelings on how to make the magazine even better. Growth and change is an important part of moving forward. Ultimately, isn’t that what life is all about?

So perhaps your magazine will join me as we grow and age together, and hopefully we can do it gracefully.

Thank you so much for listening.

--Sheila Murphy-Palermo

I was getting interested in MORE but then I realized it is simply another liberal biased magazine. Your interviews and articles about Andrea Mitchell, Nancy Pelosi, etc. gave it away. However, this month's "Seven Newswomen “finished it off for me. Your colors showed just by leaving out Fox News, which, despite Obama's badmouthing, is still the most watched news channel on cable news and is probably now the most watched news period. Many people are absolutely boycotting other news stations because they can't keep from being biased. This election will be close. No matter who wins, you're going to turn off lots of people. I am not alone in refusing to pay for left-sided propaganda. I have cancelled other subscriptions and will cancel this one, too. I will now write letters to the companies who advertise with you.

Smarten up!!

--Sydney Messett

I am a 54 year old conservative from South Carolina who has enjoyed your magazine for years. I had to comment on the article highlighting the 7 newswomen wearing the sheath dresses. As a professional, I love the dresses and wear them often. What struck me as odd is the lack of conservative newswomen included in your chosen group. As I'm sure you are aware, there are many beautiful and successful conservatives you could have chosen from including Megyn Kelly, Michell Malkin, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingram & Dana Pierino to name a few.

I like to believe your magazine is well balanced politically and this just struck me and inspired me write my first letter to a magazine!!!

Thanks for listening and your support of both political parties.

--Amy Pickens

Your 2012 Survey is bogus! Just because this is/was my first issue seen and read, the survey ended!

Wow!...

I'll be a sport and let you know what I think anyway.

The front cover story of Selma Bagel, real people-great choice!

Become "face book fan", get real! There's better things to do than to sit and blog/tweet/bla-bla-bla... I'm only responding because I accurately have time to relax. I'm a busy working woman.

I loved the short interview with Penny Marshall! I loved watching her when I was a kid! I recall the Playboy waitress show she did in Lavern & Shirley. It inspired me to be a bunny waitress, but I got pregnant and there went my perfect body. :( But I am a part time waitress for the past 12 years. I’m the best at my work and proud of it!! Great tips and leave my customers with a smile, just without showing off my flesh...

Books: that really shows your/our age. Don't care for it.

Do movies instead. More interesting and alive. The hell with "book clubs”! Movies are where it's at!

The "shake up your>Now on “images control" I liked. Make, keep “your">"Look better with age", I enjoyed. I can relate and feel good about myself knowing I'm not all alone in the ageing journey.

The “Beauty Search 2012" how about getting the neighbor next door? Even if she's not making the 6 figures yearly. Find the real all natural girl next door. Give her a chance and she'll teach you a thing or two...

Oh, please don't let me forget the "Kathy Griffin's 7 Reasons not to date a man over 40" Wow, I don't know where she got her survey, but she's oh so wrong! Or I'm just plain lucky for my 40+ year old boyfriend! He's much more exciting than guys my age (30's)!

The "sex trafficking" article, true-you've just got to respect the truth in the eye and help our fellow ladies and young men. Don't turn your cheek to it. It's really happening closer to home than you may think.

Most other articles bored me, not interesting. Yawn, yawn, nod.

Advertisements are beauty vain. But that's life. Good variety.

Thank you for your time and much success to your magazine.--Rosie Ramirez

I am a subscriber.

I was very disappointed to see your “Hail to the Sheath” article (pages 126-133) in your October 2012 issue featuring only “left leaning” media venue newswomen.

Why no newswoman from Fox News or another “conservative leaning” news venue?

While, regrettably, I have come to expect biased, left-leaning reporting from the “Main Stream Media,” I do not want to see it in More magazine under the guise of fashion. As will be evidenced by this coming November’s political elections, there are plenty of conservative-leaning women in America … please remember us when planning, executing, and printing future feature articles in your magazine.

--Jacqueline Palumbo

My name is Shakuntala Dev and I am 49 years young living in Sacramento California. I enjoy reading More Magazine every month and share with my friends as well. What I most enjoy reading in your magazine is articles on every day women who inspire in beauty and brain. Your Magazine covers should be on everyday women as well. I don't read any article on Celebrities specially if it on Beauty and make up. I hope you would put more emphasis on women like me who eat well, exercise and and raise a family and still look years younger than their age without using any expensive beauty products.

I have attached a photo to prove my point. I took this photo of myself in Tahiti in May of this year.

Thanks.

--Shakuntala Dev.

You will never know how excited I was when you came on the market! Finally, a magazine for mature women! A magazine that contained something more than how to raise your kids, make your man happy in bed, and cook a healthy supper! I loved your articles written by real women who conquered obstacles in their lives, lived through horrific events and shared their stories with us, empowered us...... I even enjoyed the updated makeup and hair trends although was disappointed that they were presented- as always - on rail thin models. For several years as a loyal subscriber I have winced at your decidedly liberal leanings and raves about Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama, etc. while ignoring conservative women with equally, if not more, stellar careers and lives. But this is the very last straw, MORE!

The female newsanchors you portrayed in this issue were ALL liberal mainstream mouthpieces for the current administration and not one FOX news anchor or author in their midst! Come on now! During election year you would be this brazen! Many letters have echoed my sentiments over the past months but you obviously do not care about your conservative readers who cannot get weak-limbed and faint over Obama and his minions! There is a vast divide between Madison Avenue and Mainland America and you proved that you are not "woman "enough to cross it! Please cancel my subscription immediately.

--Dr. Carol Ann Gillespie

More magazine may have good content but I find the print size hard to read. The print is smaller than every magazine that I currently subscribe to or have subscribed to in the past. I would suggest that you will reach more women/readers if the size of the print was not so small. I will not be renewing my subscription and want you to know the reason why.

--Patti Waitman-Ingebretsen

I have found myself looking for a More magazine again, to find your letter.

I do not have a subscription to More yet, due to so many others needed to keep current. Your magazine I seek out and pay full price for.

What you write is exactly what is current and of interest to me. I am 56, divorced and raised two strong, independent women. I mean independent, not on parental or government dole since graduating from college in four years. Own a multinational home-furnishing/design company that I built while raising the girls. I love this time watching them shine in their feminine strength (one an accountant, one a rocket scientist—yes, really). I love this time for me, a window in my life to allow me to justifiably be focused on me and my career guilt free! Grandchildren will come soon enough.

Do not change or be pressured into the mind-set of the liberal majority in trend publishing.

I will continue to look forward to your monthly letter.

--Kathleen Kenworthy

Just read your October issue of MORE article “Lose the Clutter, Find Your Style”—well, it made me do it. Closed the magazine and went downstairs to the closet. I first removed all my “oh my gosh, you’re too old for that” items and hauled them all upstairs to the couch. Next to my walk-in closet that is not very walk-in friendly and did the same thing.

I feel like I have shed 10 pounds, which for me actually isn’t a good thing, but what the heck, it felt great! Next stop: Goodwill box.

Thanks, Jennifer. You pushed me to do something I have dreaded for many years!

--Dolores P.

As always, I enjoyed your letter this month. As I am sitting in the Barcelona airport reading your letter, I just had to write to you. Of course, the three-hour layover might have had something to do with that. :)

Throughout my life, I have always appreciated my women friends, their support, encouragement and understanding. We have helped each other during the good times and bad times.

Three years ago we retired and moved two hours away from all my lifelong friends. Wasn't sure I was going to meet new friends that were "a match." You are right on target, in that meeting new friends that can click with my husband and me is not an easy task.

I am so happy to say I have met a whole new group of wonderful women. The gym provided an outlet to meet some like-minded women, along with tennis, which I had not played in 25 years. One of the ladies from the gym told me about a website called Meetup.com. This is a site that offers an avenue to meet new friends by joining up with strangers to hike, bicycle and just have fun. Check it out if you haven't already.

The past three years I have met some great women at More's Miraval event and continue to keep in touch with them. Looking forward to seeing you this year too. :)

I still cherish my old friends and make sure to get together as often as I can. Cannot imagine life without these wonderful friends. So, as you can see, it is not hard to find new friends; you just need to "open yourself up and look around you." Take care!

--Deb Dalke

I could really relate to your recent editorial about friends. They are so important in later years of life. I am drawn to strong, intelligent, independent women—and have a number of good friends who fit this description. They are women who have survived many of life’s challenges yet live well in spite of their years. Attitude plays an important part in life and friendships! Thank goodness for friends!

--Midge

I just received my October issue of MORE magazine. I love Salma Hayek on the cover. I read the article and enjoyed it. Yet my comment is regarding the article written by Jenny Allen (commencing on page 98).

GREAT article! I could really identify with her with respect to the title of the article, “The Cat on My Head.” Once you’re diagnosed with "the BIG C," it takes a little time to get use to hearing that word and then accepting that you have been diagnosed with it. A million thoughts run through your mind ... Not to be insensitive to anyone who has or has survived Cancer. It really comes down to a state of mind. This may sound harsh, but what I had to decide was one of the following:

1. I'm victimized by Cancer.

2. I'm a Cancer survivor.

I decided I was going to be a survivor. I am one of five members on my paternal side who developed Cancer between the ages of 38 and 48. I am one of two survivors of the five family members. I'm currently declared in remission, which I wear as a badge of honor and courage, and I decided to create awareness through wearing my baldness to family functions to bring about awareness. If anything, I encourage women to create awareness among family, friends, peers and acquaintances. This is a disease that is still killing too many of us. Beauty is not in our hair, whether it’s on our heads or our face. Beauty is in our strength as women who can stand up and fight against a formidable enemy. I wore my BIG EARRINGS and went BALD. I received looks of admiration. Now there were days I wore my cotton hats to forgo sunburn (not a good thing when receiving chemo). I also had my rough periods due to the aggressive treatment but looked forward to the good days. Just remember, we are still the beautiful women we were before Cancer, except we have grown stronger and wiser.

Laugh, enjoy companionship. Whether its with family, friends or a support group. I did it all and I found that other woman and men had it worst than I and I found myself lending support to them. That made me feel even better. When life gives you a pile of lemons, go to town and start making lemonade, lemon madeleines, lemon meringue pie, etc. ... Sweeten it up! When you survive Cancer, you feel you can conquer most anything.

--Celeste

I read the article (if you can call it that) "The Seven Newswomen," whom you deem to be the ones who "cast a critical eye on the candidates this election season." Seriously? What about the newswomen from Fox News? Interesting how you conveniently left these women out of your feature article. If you took the time to read their biographies, you would undoubtedly be impressed with their collective résumés and scholastic achievements, and I believe some of them may ALSO have a "critical eye" on the candidates this election season. For you to deliberately exclude any of these women from your feature story is inexcusable, but not surprising.

I am truly disappointed that your publication (like so many others) is slanted to the left. But what else is new? Your feature "The Seven Newswomen" obviously eliminated the newswomen from Fox News because of the current political climate. You are free to publish whatever you want, and I am free to no longer read it. That said, I am canceling my subscription. I'm sure one less subscription is no big deal to you. However, it is a big deal to me every time I read the newspaper or watch CNN or MSNBC or read More, and it becomes more and more obvious that the American public is being brainwashed by the left-wing media. Fairness in journalism no longer exists.

--Kathy Entringer

I completed the October 2012 survey—thought there would be space at the end of the survey for comments ... here's one I didn't get to post. I was disappointed the magazine chose only "liberal" newswomen to feature in "Hail to the Sheath" on pages 126-133. Newswomen on Fox News would also be "casting a crticial eye on the candidates..." Instead of appearing to reach women across both political aisles, the magazine comes across as not being interested in women with more conservative views. An obvious deletion that will dictate my decision upon renewal.

--Diane Hannan

I will take you at your word that you want to hear complaints as well as compliments about your magazine. I have been a subscriber for many years and eagerly look forward to each month's issue of More. Today when I turned to the section "A Field Guide to the Mature Male," I was horrified. I am 55 years old and married with a spouse the same age. We like to share little jokes about men and women (Mars and Venus), and we can laugh at ourselves and our aging bodies. However, most of this Field Guide is just NOT funny, particularly the drawing and comments on page 140. If such an article appeared in a men's magazine about women's bodies, feminists would be appalled. I am very disappointed that your staff finds this kind of humor appropriate for the "mature" woman.

--Karen Ryan

It is great there is a magazine for the “older” generation of women. You are a wonderful resource for the 35- to 50-year-old women in the country. Your subject matters are pertinent to that generation with suggestions on how to move forward when difficult situations present themselves in their lives. Great articles that address concerns such as job loss and reinventing their careers, illness and recovery, emotional issues from divorce and finding love again are in each issue. I applaud you on creating this for those women.

It is clear your staff is 40 and under. There is very little representation for women 55 and above. If we wore the clothes you show, we would look ridiculous or frumpy. Job loss and recovery for us is completely different than the 35- to 50-year-old with a career future. Medical advice is not the same either. Divorce after 25 to 30 years can destroy our lives due to loss of homes and little possibility of purchasing another. There are women who find love again, but most of us are not attractive to men of similar age that we have been fighting against for jobs our whole lives (a negative outcome of the “women’s liberation era” we are products of). Who knew that wasn’t going to work so well for us???

One tremendous issue that is always the elephant in the room is our weight. Sure, women in their sixties lose weight successfully, but look at the majority of women in this growing category. We have spent our live as professionals, dressing up to date and relatively slim. Well, going to the gym three or four times a week no longer maintains that look, and all we have to do is get a whiff of anything with an ounce of fat or sugar and it appears on our midriff or hips never to be “worked off.” What are we to do without destroying our health? We can no longer go on crash diets and expect our bodies to keep going. This is a whole new world for us, and we need help.

When you do approach our unique issues it is tacked on to the end of an article for the forties. So much like the afterthought we seem to be now. How about some articles specifically for us? I have been a subscriber from the beginning.

Kathy Griffin isn't funny, and I am highly offended about what she wrote about men over 40. I will be married for 32 years this October. We are still very happy. She isn't mature enough or enough of a woman to be married to a man over 40.

--M.E. Steinhart

I must first say that I do love your magazine. So consider this a fan letter first...

However, Kathy Griffin's seven reasons not to date a man over 40 REALLY seemed derogatory to most men. Women of style and substance should celebrate the differences between men and women. I would like to give a shout-out to all the handsome waiters at Olive Garden and the over-40 guys who excercise and work to maintain a youthful appearance. The comment about their balls? Kathy, you need to have your mouth sewn shut! The comment about sending their children to a Swiss boarding school? Please, save our children from women like this. PLEASE do not EVER give this woman another platform to bash our guys. Shame, shame!

--Clara Ward

I'm writing to you regarding your article “A Field Guide to the Mature Male.” I cannot express to you how incredibly offensive I find this article. As the owner of a hair salon, I receive quite a few magazines geared toward women. Recently I started receiving More and initially thought it seemed rather interesting. I couldn't believe the poor taste of this article. I found it even more offensive as I am 48 years old and, according to this article, apparently falling apart at the seams. The objectification of men in this article is really revolting. Given that I spend the majority of my time with women, I think I have a pretty good feeling for their attitudes. If such an article were written for men about women with these terrible stereotypes, there would be hell to pay! I hope that the next time someone suggests writing an article about men, you think about it much more carefully.--Terrence Otis

I have subscribed to More for years and really enjoy the magazine. However, I thought the article in the October issue on “The Mature Male” was vulgar and sexist. SO not up to your usual intelligent journalistic standards. Imagine if a magazine printed a multipage article on “A Field Guide to the Mature Female” ridiculing menopausal bellies, whiskery chins, skinny legs, thinning hair, falling breasts, dry vaginas, Stages of Women, sexual response at different ages, male equivalent comic of Kathy Griffin listing reasons not to date an over-40 female, "just how mature is she" and estrogen loss. I expect there would be an uproar from your staff about the poor judgement used by the female-bashing magazine. I expect more from More.--Cynthia, MSW

Today I received the October issue of More in the mail. As usual, I did a cursory scan of the pages, looking for the articles I might want to spend more time on at day's end. And, as usual, I found an article that, although I'm sure you didn't mean to be political, to be just that.

I have been a subscriber to More for a number of years. In the past, I have been prepared to ignore its lack of coverage on, shall we say, more conservative women compared to liberal ones. Not so anymore.

"Hail to the Sheath" is a nice fashion feature. As a former special-sections editor for a newspaper, I can really appreciate great photography, smart outfits and attractive models. Some bio copy is nice too. But when all the models are from mainstream media, many with NBC backgrounds or clearly liberal leanings, it just becomes too much. I watch a variety of news media and can assure you there are those in other media outlets who are as fashionable and attractive as those on your pages. I'd be happy so send you a list if you'd like and even interview and run the fashion shoot for you.

When my subscription runs out, I will not renew. I think almost every woman's magazine thinks it gives equal coverage, mainly because staff tell each other they're covering everything equally. Someone needs to look in from the outside.

There are always wonderful articles in your book, and I'll miss them. But not the one-sided cheering section for the liberal agenda.

--Ronna

I have had a subscription to MORE magazine for the past year now, and I love it. However, I've noticed that little by little, more "twenty-something" advertisement seems to be appearing in your publication. I love reading MORE because it is an alternative to all of the youth-focused magazines such as Glamour, Elle, etc.

Please don't lose your mission of catering to women of style and substance who prefer a publication that respects and honors mature women.